Chaumma calls crucial strategy meeting following high-profile defections from Chadema

Dar es Salaam. The Party for People’s Liberation (Chaumma) is gearing up for a high-stakes Central Committee meeting this Saturday, just days after making headlines by welcoming three prominent former Chadema leaders into its top leadership ranks.

The meeting—scheduled for May 24, 2025, at Golden Tulip Hotel in Dar es Salaam—will be chaired by party leader Hashim Rungwe, and is widely viewed as a defining moment for the party as it plots its next political moves ahead of the October 2025 General Election.

According to a statement released by Chaumma’s Information Department, the session will address two major agenda items: The election of new department directors at the party’s national secretariat, in line with Article 55(h) of Chaumma’s constitution.

Also on the agenda is the endorsement of a nationwide tour plan aimed at revitalising the party’s grassroots machinery.

The tour will serve as both a publicity campaign and a political mobilization drive. It will introduce the newly appointed national leaders, recruit fresh members, and promote Chaumma’s ideology and policy priorities to Tanzanians ahead of the crucial polls.

A political shake-up sends ripples

The upcoming meeting follows a political tremor earlier this week when three former senior Chadema officials—Salum Mwalimu, Benson Kigaila, and Devotha Minja—were officially absorbed into Chaumma and immediately assigned senior leadership roles.

Mr Mwalimu, who previously served as Chadema’s Deputy Secretary-General (Zanzibar), was appointed as Chaumma’s Secretary-General, replacing Mohammed Masoud Rashid, who voluntarily stepped down the same day.

Mr Kigaila, a seasoned political strategist and former Director of Protocol and Strategy at Chadema, has been installed as Vice Chairman (Mainland), while Ms Minja takes on the role of Deputy Secretary-General (Mainland).

In a surprising turn of events, Mr Rashid—who had just vacated the Secretary-General position—was shortly afterward named Deputy Secretary-General (Zanzibar), raising questions about internal realignments and possible consensus-building within Chaumma’s ranks.

A renewed push for political relevance

The swift integration of the ex-Chadema trio has re-energised Chaumma and bolstered perceptions that the party is positioning itself to become a more competitive player in Tanzania’s multiparty landscape.

Political analysts say the timing and visibility of the appointments suggest that Chaumma is not merely seeking to grow its numbers—but is actively crafting a viable national platform capable of challenging dominant parties.

“This meeting is not business as usual,” said a political observer familiar with internal opposition dynamics. “It’s about recalibrating the party’s direction and capitalising on the momentum gained from these defections.”

With the 2025 general election on the horizon, Saturday’s meeting is expected to produce a roadmap that will shape Chaumma’s messaging, candidate selection process, and its approach to navigating Tanzania’s increasingly complex political terrain.

If the party can successfully convert recent developments into national traction, it could alter the equation in a race that is already attracting keen interest from voters, civil society, and international observers.